3 Backyard Features To Add With Your New Swimming Pool

—Include hardscape, an island grill, and an outdoor kitchen when building an aquatic retreat

When putting in a new pool, don’t miss out on the opportunity it affords to improve your entire backyard.

By including other features and amenities with the pool project, you will gain a more unified, more functional outdoor space.

Before you finalize your pool plan, discuss complimentary backyard options with your pool builder. Some key design elements and amenities that are great to add at the same time as a pool include:

Hardscape:

Make your entire outdoors more usable, accessible, and multidimensional with a variety of hardscape structures.

Along with a pool deck, you may want to think about a patio, stairway, decorative walls and columns, benches and seating nooks, pathways to the house or side yard, and integrated planters.

You can have built-in seating or even a cozy, sunken “conversation pits” with a fire pit in the center.

Island Grills:

Unique benefits come from coordinating installation of your grill and your pool. Since your pool builder’s gas, electric, and plumbing specialists are already on-site for pool construction, manpower costs will be lower for these trades that are needed for an island BBQ installation.

Hiding utility hook ups is easier too, since lines can be laid before pool decking goes in. You can also match your pool tile or stone with what you select for your grill’s façade and countertops.

Outdoor Kitchens:

Today’s outdoor kitchen rivals those of their indoor counterparts. Popular features include sinks, grills, ice chests, drink chillers, rotisseries, stovetop burners, and refrigerators. Entire pizza ovens are also increasingly in demand as well.

Designs can incorporate seating areas, a variety of task and overhead lighting, bars & countertops, and outdoor TVs and stereos. Integrating canopies or shade structures over the kitchen will keep everyone cool while they prep and enjoy food and drinks by the pool.